Electronic signs on the M6 - How hard can it be ?
Discussion
I keep wondering about those "really useful" electronic signs telling you not to drive tired, etc. Do they actually serve a purpose? Do people actually look at them, think "oh hang on, I am a bit weary actually" and pull over at the next services?
I'm not being facetious, I'm genuinely interested in what their function is. Are they ever used for informative, useful messages, or are they just there to draw attention to keep you awake as you drive?
I'm not being facetious, I'm genuinely interested in what their function is. Are they ever used for informative, useful messages, or are they just there to draw attention to keep you awake as you drive?
Pigeon said:
Couldn't agree more. I presume there isn't a lane just before the toll gates for "oh shit, I've gone the wrong way and need to get off"? Didn't think so.
Well, southbound there are two distinct lanes off to stay on the M6 if you really don't want the toll road, so it's not that easy to do by mistake once you combine that with the massive road and advance warning that starts near Stafford. The main toll booth is about half-way down the toll road, so if there was an exit just before it you'd already have been about ten miles on the nice, empty road.
What I didn't like about the toll road was how difficult it is to find when leaving the NEC car parks. I was down at the Motor Show for a couple of weeks, did eight or nine days on the stand, and every time I got back to the car there was a leaflet on the windscreen telling me about how great the toll road is. None of them, however, told me how to get onto it from the NEC. Turns out you need to ignore the 'exit' signs and go for the south exit (even though I want to go north), and you're there. But no road signs mention it by name, so you need knowledge of the area to find it.
But if they go to the trouble of handing out leaflets to the thousands of people in the car park every day, how hard would it be to just put a map, or some direction signs, or something? A waste of money producing the leaflets without it - like making a brochure for a great product, but not putting any company or contact details on it.
SGirl said:
I keep wondering about those "really useful" electronic signs telling you not to drive tired, etc. Do they actually serve a purpose? Do people actually look at them, think "oh hang on, I am a bit weary actually" and pull over at the next services?
I'm not being facetious, I'm genuinely interested in what their function is. Are they ever used for informative, useful messages, or are they just there to draw attention to keep you awake as you drive?
If Gary Hart had read one and then pulled into a service station instead of continuing his drive; many lives would have been saved..
Enough reason for me...
Street
I was heading down the M6, Cumbria, yesterday. Light traffic.
Sign in the central reservation, 50 (advisory), flashing yellow.
3 miles later, another sign in the central reservation, indicating the inside lane was closed.
3 miles later, a repeat, and 1/2 mile later a wide load HGV was stopped on the hard shoulder with blues flashing behind it, but not even obstructing the inside lane.
So why exactly was the 50 sign lit up 6 *miles* before this potential hazard?
Sign in the central reservation, 50 (advisory), flashing yellow.
3 miles later, another sign in the central reservation, indicating the inside lane was closed.
3 miles later, a repeat, and 1/2 mile later a wide load HGV was stopped on the hard shoulder with blues flashing behind it, but not even obstructing the inside lane.
So why exactly was the 50 sign lit up 6 *miles* before this potential hazard?
SGirl said:
I keep wondering about those "really useful" electronic signs telling you not to drive tired, etc. Do they actually serve a purpose? Do people actually look at them, think "oh hang on, I am a bit weary actually" and pull over at the next services?
I'm not being facetious, I'm genuinely interested in what their function is. Are they ever used for informative, useful messages, or are they just there to draw attention to keep you awake as you drive?
I agree...
I've never seen one saying "keep left"
And then theres the "don't drink and drive" matrix signs.
It's a bit late if your sozzled and reading it on the motorway isn't it!
I've noticed a few times the sign just says "END" when all the ones before it have been blank. Have I missed something exciting?
Reading the stuff about the signs saying "Don't drink and drive" has just reminded me of the best sign on a motorway I've ever seen. When the firemen where on strike a couple of years ago, I was on the M62 and the electronic signs said something like this :
"Firefighers Strike, Take extra care not to have an accident"
What ? Good one, are they saying it's okay to have a crash normally because the firemen will come and save you but best not to have one whilst they are on strike, eh ? What total knobhead came up with that one ? Infact, I know who it was, it was the same knobhead that worked for Travel Lodge at the same time who put a card in my room asking me to be extra careful with fags and matches in case I set light to the hotel because there was a strike !! And it's also the same cretin that puts the "Pull Back, Baby on Board" signs in the back of their cars. Oh yes, normally I'd crash my car into the back of yours but as you have your ankle-biter in the back seat I won't do that today !!
"Firefighers Strike, Take extra care not to have an accident"
What ? Good one, are they saying it's okay to have a crash normally because the firemen will come and save you but best not to have one whilst they are on strike, eh ? What total knobhead came up with that one ? Infact, I know who it was, it was the same knobhead that worked for Travel Lodge at the same time who put a card in my room asking me to be extra careful with fags and matches in case I set light to the hotel because there was a strike !! And it's also the same cretin that puts the "Pull Back, Baby on Board" signs in the back of their cars. Oh yes, normally I'd crash my car into the back of yours but as you have your ankle-biter in the back seat I won't do that today !!
a sensible message! Unheard of...was driving along the M1 a while back, sign read something along the lines of workers in road slow down. I did and there was nothing. Drove 5 or so miles further on, same message, aha another false alarm thinks I so don't bother slowing down. half a mile further on there were guys putting cones out, and I should have slowed down. I felt really stupid for ignoring the sign, and could have endangered the road workers. Still lesson learned I don't ignore such signs any more.
Size Nine Elm said:
I was heading down the M6, Cumbria, yesterday. Light traffic.
Sign in the central reservation, 50 (advisory), flashing yellow.
3 miles later, another sign in the central reservation, indicating the inside lane was closed.
3 miles later, a repeat, and 1/2 mile later a wide load HGV was stopped on the hard shoulder with blues flashing behind it, but not even obstructing the inside lane.
So why exactly was the 50 sign lit up 6 *miles* before this potential hazard?
Possibly a problem on the offside of the truck. Totally agree with this signage - Standing on the hard shoulder is scary enough, but try laying under a truck to take the prop off with everything whizzing past. If anything runs into the truck you have absolutely nowhere to go.
The one underneath is a recovery truck.
makes my blood run cold.
steve
>> Edited by towman on Friday 24th September 13:42
towman said:
I was heading down the M6, Cumbria, yesterday. Light traffic.
Sign in the central reservation, 50 (advisory), flashing yellow.
3 miles later, another sign in the central reservation, indicating the inside lane was closed.
3 miles later, a repeat, and 1/2 mile later a wide load HGV was stopped on the hard shoulder with blues flashing behind it, but not even obstructing the inside lane.
So why exactly was the 50 sign lit up 6 *miles* before this potential hazard?
Possibly a problem on the offside of the truck. Totally agree with this signage - Standing on the hard shoulder is scary enough, but try laying under a truck to take the prop off with everything whizzing past. If anything runs into the truck you have absolutely nowhere to go.
(Pic snipped)
The one underneath is a recovery truck.
makes my blood run cold.
steve
Which is exactly the reason why the signage should be accurate, and timely. Not 6 miles in advance - its like crying wolf, after 6 miles you have given up on the invalid signs, and started to creep up on speed again.
Knock the first 3 miles off, and it becomes a lot more appropriate, and traffic is far more likely to be behaving with respect to the warnings.
IMHO...
Size Nine Elm said:
Knock the first 3 miles off, and it becomes a lot more appropriate, and traffic is far more likely to be behaving with respect to the warnings.
IMHO...
agreed. But possibly when the truck called in with a problem (using mobile of course - we truckers are too lazy to use emergency phones), motorway control was unsure of where he was and waiting for BiB to confirm location.
But then again, probably not!!!!
Steve
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